THE LOOP
Joshua Bell's Violin
So I recently came across this crazy fact the other day - and it’s one of those ones that was just so flabbergasting to me that it’s been in the back of my mind for weeks.
If you’re at all familiar with modern classical, you’ve heard of the child prodigy, Josh Bell, who debuted in Carnegie Hall at age 17. He’s a master with the violin.
Well this crazy fact is about his violin. It’s over three centuries old! Amazingly, Bell's instrument is a 300-year old Stradivarius violin called the 'Gibson ex Huberman', which was made in 1713 during what is known as Stradivari's Golden Era. The violin had been stolen twice from the previous owner, Bronisław Huberman; the final time the thief confessed to the act on his deathbed. Bell paid just under the 4 million dollar asking price for the antique instrument. The craziest part about all of this, to me anyway, was that he actually plays it!! My first reaction was of shock and awe - most antiques that old are packed safely away behind glass in museums, yet he takes it out often and plays it.
It just goes to show that true craftsmanship will always stand the test of time. Whether it be violins or belts..or watches.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
This past weekend, I helped my parents put up their Christmas tree. It is an experience I've always been apart of since I was old enough to help and one that I've always enjoyed. But this time around, the experience was a bit different. You see, to my surprise, this year my parents decided to go with an artificial tree that came pre-decorated. Growing up, we always had a real Christmas tree and I wondered why they suddenly decided to change it up. Their main reason was, "maintenance and cleanup are a breeze." I had never really put too much thought into it but they did have a point. The overall experience got me thinking and questioning whether I should do the same and purchase an artificial tree. Until Sunday night, I had yet to purchase my tree and so, aside from discussing it with my boyfriend, I made a pro and con list.
Pros
Long-term costs are lower
Maintenance and cleanup are a breeze
Many (if not all) are pre-decorated
Allergen-free
Cons
No pine tree smell
Picking out a tree isn't the same
Artificial trees can still be flammable
The experience of decorating is left to a minimal
So, what did I decide? The child in me wasn't ready to let go and so I purchased a real Christmas tree. I spent a little bit over an hour decorating my tree (I only spent 15 minutes with my parents) but I enjoyed every minute. An artificial tree might be for me in the future, but for now, I am content with the real ones.
Happy tree shopping everyone!!
The Age of Un-Discovery
This weekend I read a National Geographic interview with Malachy Tallak, author of a new book, The Un-Discovered Islands.
Mythical islands on fancy maps covered with sea monsters, mermen, and sirens? Cool.
The concept that "the 20th century is a 'time of un-discovery'"? Even cooler.
Because what does that even mean? Tallak uses the example of Sandy Island.
Sandy Island is the most recent island to be un-discovered, in late 2012. An Australian research vessel noticed discrepancies between the navigational chart and the systems they had on board, some of which showed Sandy Island in the region between Australia and New Caledonia, and some of which did not. They decided to have a look for themselves but found there was no such island, neither above nor beneath the surface. But Sandy Island still appeared on all kinds of charts and even Google Maps and Google Earth.
We assume digital navigation is perfect, that there are no mistakes, but there can be and this is the most famous example. It was widely reported around the world and people became quite excited about the idea of an island that both did and did not exist.
The reason, I think, is that, as the Age of Discovery came to a close, we lost some of the sense of mystery about the world that we had always had. To find a place that broke all the rules, which appeared on a map, yet wasn’t actually there, was an exciting idea. Sandy Island seems to speak to our deep desire for there to still be mysterious places out there.
The last paragraph is my favorite. Reread it if you ended up skimming (as I did the first time, so no judgement there).
In the Age of Discovery, those yearning for adventure and a stab at solving the world's mysteries had their chance. The Age of Un-Discovery leaves us nostalgic for a time we were never a part of. So, although I love the phrase and idea of "The Age of Un-Discovery", I am glad to have found, in SlideBelts, a place that embodies the Age of Discovery. This Monday, let's go forth and discover. New friends, new stories, new ways to excel in whatever we put our minds to. Let's break all the rules and add our island to the map.
Clearly I'm not the creative one in the family.
Interested in what Tallak has to say about mythical isles? Read the interview for yourself HERE.